Placer-mining machine.



C. R. DENNISON.

PLACER MINING MACHINE.

' APPLICATION HLED JAN. 11, 1912.

1,064,296, Patented June 10, 1913.

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CoLuMBIA PLANUGRAPH co., WASHINGTON. D, c.

C. R, DENNISONl PLACER MINING MACHINE.

APPLIOATxoN FILED JAN. 11, 1912.

1,064,296. Patented June 10, 1913.

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PLAGEB. MINING MACHINE.

APP-LIOATIONIILED 11111.11, 1912.

1,064,296, Patented June 1Q, 1913.

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'UNTED STATES PATENT FFIQE.

CHARLES It. DENNISON, OF YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD T0 J. B. GH&MBERS ANI) ONE-THIRD TO W. V. BURNETT, BOTH OF YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO.

PLACER-MINING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J une 10, 1913.

Application led January 11, 1912. Serial No. 670,661.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES R. DENNI- soN, citizen of the United States, residing at Youngstown, in the county of Mahoning and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Placer- Mining Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the subject of placer-mining', and particularly to an improved construction of placer-mining machine embodying simple and practical means for effectually carrying out the process of recovering gold from placer deposits by simply washing, in combination with accessories that provide for separating and carrying away the coarser material.

To this end the invention contemplates a construction of placer-mining machine embodying improved means for rifling the gold-bearing material and means for utilizing a body and column of water in such manner that it may be used repeatedly through the rifliing sluice-way, thus effecting great economy in water and also avoiding the carrying away of much l'ine gold which is the great desideratum of placer-mining machines wherein the water is used at once and flows off to the waste.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel Construction wherein the sluice-way is of open formation and hence readily accessible at all points thereof for the recovery of the gold collected by the riiiies, and also wherein the sluice-way and a circulating flume for water are so related to each other, and to a water-tank or reservoir, that the tailings or waste are separated from the water at the bottom of the sluice-way, and the water alone is relevated to a point for delivery again into the sluiceway at the receiving end of the latter.

With these and other objects in view, which will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art as the nature of the invention is more fully understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

While susceptible of structural modification, a preferred and practical embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawings, in which- Figure l is an elevation of a placer-mining machine embodying the improvements contemplated by said invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of that part of the machine which includes the sluice-way, the water-tank, the circulating flume, and the adjacent accessories. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the sluice-way, the view also showing the relative positions of the watertank, the circulating flume, and the water conduits for feeding the water from the latter to the receiving end of the sluice-way. F ig. 4 is an end elevation of the machine showing the relative relation of various parts within the supporting framework.

Like references designate corresponding parts in the several gnres of the drawing. The various working parts of the machine, including the stationary and movable elements, are carried by a suitable framework designated in its entirety by the reference numeral l, and at a convenient location therein is arranged a rifliing sluice-way of novel construction. This ritliing sluice-way is designated by the numeral 2, and essentially comprises a boxing or casing of suitable capacity and dimensions, and having therein upper and lower reversely inclined sluice-sections 3 and 4, respectively. The separate sluice-sections 3 and 4 are of duplicate formation, that is to say, each of the same is constructed with a downwardly inclining bottom wall 5 upon the upper side of which is arranged a continuous series of transverse rilies 6, of suit-able design, and which are intended to perform the usual function of arresting` and detaining the gold which separates from the water and coarser material circulating downwardly through the sluice-way. The sluice-way is also of open formation throughout in order that both sections thereof may be readily accessible at all points for the recovery of the gold collected by the rifHes, and in order to secure the continuous operation hereinafter more particularly referred to, it will be observed that the upper and lower sluice-sections 3 and 4 are reversely inclined to each other and lie in di'erent vertical parallel planes. To provide the necessary communication between the two sections of the sluice-way, the latter is provided with a return channel or bend 7 constructed within the sluiceway casing or boxing transversely thereof at the lower en d of the upper sluice section,

of which compartments, 10, performs thev function of a tailings or waste pin, and the other of which compartments, 11, constitutes a water reservoir proper for the lower end of a circulating flume 12, that is arranged vertically and is built on to the sluice-way at one end thereof. The lower end of this circulating flume 12 is in open communication with the reservoir proper or water-chamber 11, while the upper end of the said flume opens laterally into a plurality of curved or elbow water conduits 13 that deliver water from the flume on to the receiving or upper end of the upper sluice section rlhe water from the chamber 11 is positively fo-rced or lifted upwardly through the flume 12 by means of lifting propellers, turbines, or equivalent elements let. A suitable number of these elements 1li are employed and the same rotate horizontally within the flume and are carried by a vertical propeller shaft 15 extending through the flume and projecting to the eX- terior thereof, where the same has a suit-able driving connection, 16, as may be plainly seen from Fig. 2 of the drawings.

The sluice-way, at the upper end of the upper sluice-section, receives the gold-bear- "ing material from a feeding chute 17, that is arranged beneath and suspended from a shaking separating screen, 18. The chute 17 is set at a sufficient angle to the body of the screen 18 in order to insure the free delivery of the gold-bearing screenings into the receiving end of the sluice-way, and the said screen body is also set at an angle and is adjustably suspended from swinging hangers 19, loosely hung from the top of the framework, as at 20. The said shaking separating screen 18 performs the functions of a screen of this type, namely, to effect a separation of coarser and liner materials from each other, and for that purpose has fitted within the body thereof one or more screen bottoms 21 of suitable mesh, according to the number and iineness of separations desired, and in order to give the necessary shaking or vibrating movement to the said screen the latter has connected therewith a suitable operating device, wnich may consist of a pitman 22, having a connection as at 28 with the screen body, and a crank or equivalent connection 2a with one of the operating shafts 25 of the machine.

The coarse and unscreened gold-bearing material is received into the upper end of the separator 18 from the buckets of an endless bucket, or equivalent, elevator Q6, whose opposite portions are arranged over the upper and lower belt-drums 27 and 28, respectively, and one of which drums is driven by any suitable means, such as the belting arrangement shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The buckets of the conveyer 26 collect the raw material from a supply hopper 29 of suitable construction which is built onto the framework at one end of the base thereof. its the buckets of the elevator 26 pass over the upper drum 27 they discharge into the separator 18, and a deflecting shield arranged at this discharging point, and above the separator, prevents the scattering of the material. The coarse material that does not fall to the chute 17 is delivered from the separator 18 on to an endless belt or equivalent discharging conveyer 81 arranged within the upper part of the framework, and leading to a dump or other point of deposit for the tailings or waste. Likewise the tailings or waste material that fall into the tailings or waste bin 10 are automatically collected and elevated from said bin by means of a bucket-elevator 3Q, having perforated buckets that will allow the water to drain therefrom and which provide for carrying off the material that has been deprived of its gol-d and discharging the same into a discharge hopper 33 arranged at the top of the framework and having a laterally inclining outlet spout 3d that extends over the discharging conveyer 81, as may be best seen in Fig. 4c of the drawings. rllhe said elevator 32 is arranged to pass over the upper and lower elevator drums 85 and 3G, respectively, and one of which drums may be conveniently driven by means of the beltand pulley arrangement shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, and at this point it may be observed that the central drive shaft 37 furnishes the point of drive from which, by means of any suitable arrangement of belts and pulleys, mechanically and positively operates all of the conveyors, the separator 18, and the lifting propellers in the flume.

From the foregoing it is believed that the construction and operation of the machine will be readily apparent, and it will be observed that this operation involves the repeated using of the same water, thus insuring a maximum collection of gold.

l claim:

1. 1n a mining machine of the class described, the combination of a water tank, concentrating means including a pair of reversely inclined sluiceways which are arranged above and mounted upon the tank, perforate walls providing a tailings bin within the tank, said tailings bin being in communication with the discharge end of the lower sluioeway section, an upright circulating flume mounted upon the tank, the lower end of the circulating fiume communicating with the tank upon the exterior of the tailings bin while the upper end of the circulating flume is adapted to discharge into the upper end of the upper inclined sluiceway, mechanical lifting and circulating means within the upright flume, and mechanical means for removing the tailings from the tailings bin.

2. A machine of the class described comprising' a water tank provided at an intermediate po-intI with a tailings bin, and with perforate walls for such bin, concentrating means supported on the tank and discharging into the tailings bin, an upright circulating Hume also carried by the tank and disposed outside of the bin and at one side of one of the perforate walls of the bin, the lower end of said Hume being in open communication with the reservoir within the tank, and the upper end of the flume having a discharge connection with the upper receiving end of the concentrating means, lifting and circulating devices within the flume, and discharging means operating within the said tailings bin of the tank.

3. In a mining machine of the class described, t-he combination of a water tank provided withv a tailings bin, an inclined sluiceway mounted within the tank and having the lower end thereof constructed todischarge into the tailings bin, an upright circulating flume having the lower end thereof in connection with the water tank upon the exterior of the tailings bin, a lateral discharge spout at the upper end of the circulating flume, mechanical lifting means within the circulating flume, a curved water conduit at the upper end of the inclined sluiceway for receiving the Water from the spout of the circulating flume, and mechanical means for removing the tailings from the tailings bin.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

CHARLES R. DENNISON. Witnesses:

AGNES A. JOHNSTON, W. V. BURNETT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

